Chaos and fear gripped the Michigan State University grounds when a campus emergency was declared after shots were fired at Berkey Hall, an academic building, at 8:18 p.m. on Monday.
Students and staff were told to shelter in place as hundreds of state, local, and federal law enforcement officers descended on campus in a coordinated effort to secure the grounds, located in East Lansing and sprawling over 5,000 acres.
Additional shots were fired at a student union building which is adjacent to Berkey Hall.
On Tuesday morning, officials identified the suspect as Anthony McRae, 43. He is believed to have acted alone and was captured on camera roaming the campus on foot. CCTV footage released by the police showed a Black man dressed in a denim jacket, baseball cap, and red sneakers.
According to campus police, the suspect had no affiliation with the school, and the motive remains unclear. “We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight,” Chris Rozman, MSU Police and Public Safety interim deputy chief, said at a news conference.
Police confirmed they recovered a weapon, but could not immediately release details about its source. They also confirmed they executed a search warrant at a residence connected to the suspect.
“This truly has been a nightmare that we are living tonight, but we have remained laser-focused on the safety of our campus, our students, and the surrounding community,” Rozman said during a news conference.
Footage on social media showed terrified students fleeing university property as police officials made their way inside.
“This truly has been a nightmare that we have been living tonight, but we have remained laser-focused on the safety of our campus, our students, and the surrounding community,” Rozman said.
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/adeonibada/michigan-state-university-shooting-killed-injured